Unit 6: Syntax & Structure

Question 1

anachronism

Answer 1

something that isn’t placed in its proper historical context

Question 2

anaphora

Answer 2

repetition of an opening word or phrase in a series of lines

Question 3

anecdote

Answer 3

a brief narrative that focuses on a particular incident or event; frequently reveals a character trait

Question 4

antecedent

Answer 4

the word, phrase, or clause to which a pronoun refers

Question 5

asyndeton

Answer 5

rhetorical figure involving the deliberate omission of conjunctions to create a concise, terse, and often memorable statement

Question 6

antithesis

Answer 6

rhetorical figure in which two ideas are directly opposed; must be presented in grammatically parallel way

Question 7

caesura

Answer 7

a speech pause occurring within a line

Question 8

chiasmus

Answer 8

a rhetorical figure consisting of two parallel parts in which the second part is structurally reversed
ex: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

Question 9

climax

Answer 9

the point of greatest tension or emotional intensity in a plot; the turning point

Question 10

conflict

Answer 10

a confrontation or struggle between opposing characters or forces from which the action emanates and around which it evolves

Question 11

denouement

Answer 11

refers to event following the climax of a plot and implies some ingenious resolution of dramatic conflict and explanation of the mysteries/misunderstandings of the plot

Question 12

deus ex machina

Answer 12

refers to the intervention of a nonhuman force to resolve a seemingly unresolvable conflict in a literary work; an improbable or artificial resolution of conflict

Question 13

enjambment

Answer 13

a poetic expression that spans more than one line; does not end with grammatical breaks and a sense of incompleteness

Question 14

epigraph

Answer 14

a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of work

Question 15

flashback

Answer 15

the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative

Question 16

foreshadowing

Answer 16

the technique of introducing into a narrative material that prepares the reader or audience for future events, actions, or revelations

Question 17

in medias res

Answer 17

technique of beginning a narrative in the middle of the action

Question 18

juxtaposition

Answer 18

placing to elements side by side to present a comparison or contrast

Question 19

parallelism

Answer 19

a rhetorical figure to accentuate or emphasize ideas/images by using grammatically similar constructions

Question 20

polysyndeton

Answer 20

the use, for rhetorical effect, of more conjunctions than is necessary or natural

Question 21

style

Answer 21

an author’s choice and use of figurative language, diction, sound effects, syntax, etc; the combination of distinctive features of a literary work

Question 22

syntax

Answer 22

the arrangement – the ordering, grouping, and placement – of words within a sentence